Through the Autumn Rain
by Y. Kazuma
Summary: Office AU. A charismatic newcomer named Vargas has caught the eye of Ludwig Beilschmidt, who finds himself battling his newfound attractions. But is Vargas as disinterested as it would seem? Perhaps Ludwig isn't the only one who's interested in a fellow coworker...


Author's note: This a fic I started back in 2012, thought I might as well publish it. It's a bit old, but please enjoy ^^.

Planned chapters: 4.

* * *

He'd noticed him instantly. The sleek fit of his suit, the slight bounce in his step, the way he could make even the most straitlaced secretary smile and blush. His name was Vargas. They had met only once, when the newcomer was introduced to the rest of the workers, the only words exchanged had been their names and a hurried 'my pleasure'. And yet the brief meeting of their eyes had been enough to make Ludwig's heart beat one extra time, as if his pulse for a moment had stumbled before quickly resuming its pace.  
The italian had seemed likeable and somewhat carefree, and Ludwig had felt something stirr inside him that had otherwise been dormant for quite some time. It was as if their handshake had planted a seed within him that grew with each glimpse of the elusive Vargas, a feeling he found impossible to rid himself of. Surprised as he may have been, he recognised the feeling for what it was. Even so, he had no intention of acting upon it. For the moment he had simply decided to let things develop on their own, satisfied by the warmth that spread through him when his eyes fell upon the Italian, hidden behind the wall that was his professional, outer attire. It bloomed like a firework when he heard his melodic voice as he spoke to a colleague and Ludwig knew that he could throw everything he thought he'd known about his own preferences out the window. He had never shown much interest in men, but then again, he hadn't shown much interest in anyone. For how long had he been alone? He didn't really mind, he liked his job and the prospect of marriage and all that came with it seemed unappealing. And yet the thought of Feliciano stayed with him and he found himself entertaining thoughts he never before even would have considered, setting his heart ablaze. He found the fact that his newfound interest was a man rather amusing, as if he should have known not to expect anything to go as he had foreseen it, especially not regarding himself.

Despite Ludwig's best attempts at discreetely avoiding Vargas -so as to not make things more complicated than need be- they seemed to bump into each other quite often, almost a conspicuous amount. Vargas seemed to have immaculate timing when it came to taking the same elevator as him and Ludwig resorted to a nod and quick eyecontact. It was terribly distracting, the sight of those eyes, his thin lips pulling into a smile just for him. It had been three weeks now, the calendar once again reading 'Monday', signaling the beginning of a week he knew would not be much different from the ones preceding it. He didn't mind the repetitiveness of his job, he felt that it gave him stability in his life and it was something he took pride in doing well.

He entered the copy-room with a stack of papers under his arm and noticed a coworker already inside.

"Good morning," he greeted automatically, taking an internal step back when he realised it was Vargas, leaning against the copier with a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked more like he was taking a break than copying anything, to be completely honest.

"Good morning! Beilschmidt isn't it?" he smiled, and Ludwig became rather self-conscious, straightening his back.

"That's me," he said as casually as he could manage. He even felt himself smile a little.

"Do you mind if I call you Ludwig?" asked Vargas.

"No, go ahead," _How did he know his name?_

"I looked in your file," he replied, as if reading Ludwig's thoughts. _He had a file? _Their conversation came to a slight standstill, Vargas played with the cup in his hands and Ludwig had been momentarily distracted by the features of the man standing before him. He looked up.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm in your way aren't I? Look at me, already taking breaks..." he stepped away from the copier with a sigh.

"No! Not at all, honestly, everyone comes in here when they're bored." at least he thought ' face lit up. He glanced down at the cup in his hands before speaking.

"Would you like to... grab a coffee or something after work? A proper one I mean," he swirled the remains of his filter-coffee.

"Sure, do you have someplace in mind?" he asked. The words slipped out before he could think, and sounded to him like they'd been spoken by someone else.

"I'm afraid not. I was hoping you might..." he trailed off. Once again, Ludwig's mouth seemed a step ahead of his mind.

"I know a place," he said without thinking. A café to be precise. It wasn't a place he frequented often, but they had served decent coffee that one time he went.

"Well then, I'll see you later!" Vargas smiled and turned to leave.

"Wait-" Said Ludwig hurriedly. "I didn't catch your first name,"

Vargas paused with a hand on the doorknob and turned around slightly to look at him.

"It's Feliciano," he said, eyes gleaming. Then he left.

Ludwig stared at the door, for a moment forgetting what he even came in there to do in the first place. _Feliciano_. He sighed and turned towards the copier, his body light as a feather as he lifted the lid and placed a sheet of paper on the exposed glass beneath. As the strip of light ran back and forth under the paper, he wondered what on earth he had just gotten himself into. He'd never had any intentions of approaching Vargas in what he knew would be a fruitless endeavor. _Good morning, male coworker, I think I might have strong feelings for you. Would you go on a date with me? _He snorted at the thought. No, his plan so far had been to keep it all to himself. The chances of Feliciano feeling the same were so slim, he'd rather not reveal anything than risk making a fool of himself. But then again, even though he would be satisfied watching from a distance, perhaps a friendship couldn't hurt. He knew the rest of his male coworkers rather well, to the point of being almost friends, and yet he knew he neglected them. He preferred solitude, his books and his copier had done its job and fell silent. He sighed once more, grabbed the papers and left the room as well as his thoughts.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, the hands of the clock chitchatting between each mark of time on the face of his watch. When it finally neared its end, he ended up packing his things too quickly, leaving him with no choice but to leave five minutes early, something highly unusual for him.

"Going somewhere?" it was Elizabeta, her long flowing locks and otherwise feminine appearance as usual disguising her tough character.

"I have an appointment." he said simply. She looked at him only briefly, and yet her green eyes seemed to look straight through him. He made sure his face revealed nothing, and reminded himself that mind reading was impossible.

"See you," he said with a nod, and turned to leave.

Feliciano was already waiting for him outside, standing underneath a small protrusion in the building to escape the slight drizzle that had lasted several days, slowly soaking the streets. He had flipped up the collar on his coat, and somewhat resembled a young, handsome detective, waiting to interview a witness to the latest murder. His brows were furrowed slightly, the look of a thought-filled mind resting upon his pale face. Then he spotted Ludwig, and his features melted into a smile.

"Ludwig!"

"'Afternoon," he said warmly. "You didn't wait long, did you?"

"No, not at all."

"Well then, shall we?"

"Let's."Ludwig opened his umbrella and noticed that Feliciano hadn't brought one. Feli sent him an apologetic smile as Ludwig made the umbrella to cover them both, carefully avoiding eyecontact.

"It's close, a few streets down and we'll be there." the wind picked up as they walked and carried with it heavier raindrops. As they passed through the street, Ludwig couldn't help but wonder why Feliciano had invited him, of all people. It had been too casual, he realized now, too well thought out to be a simple act of impulse. _He must have been planning to catch me, _he thought, but quickly dismissed the notion as ridiculous and wishful thinking on his part.

They entered the café and Ludwig skillfully avoided eyecontact with the waiter, who most definitely would have given them the cramped table with the annoying draft, if given the chance. Instead they settled for one in the far back, nice and secluded, the perfect spot to drink coffee on a rainy day. Ludwig's gaze lingered on Feliciano as he removed his coat. They made their orders and fell silent, Ludwig adjusting his tie slightly.

"Thank you for doing this." said Feliciano warmly, absentmindedly adjusting the watch on his wrist.

"What, having coffee with you?" he asked. They were interupted only briefly when their coffee arrived.

"Yeah." he poured sugar into his cup before continuing,

"I hardly know anyone. At first I thought coming here was a mistake. I barely speak any German, and I guess that's fine in an international company such as ours, but when it comes to socialising..."

"So why did you come?" he asked, feeling something move inside him when Feliciano licked his lips. _Just friends_, he thought.

"I guess I needed something new." The usual then. "I get... restless." he continued, and then smiled slightly, "But actually I suppose I'm just pretty lonely."

"Oh." was all he could say. Him? Lonely? he had won the hearts of his colleagues and become a valuable part of his section in just a few weeks. Feli shot him a guilty look.

"Oh but I don't mean to say anything bad about my section," he began, making Ludwig wonder just how easy it was to read his face.

"They've been so kind to me. It's just... I don't seem to really click with any of them."

"I think I know how you feel," said Ludwig. He knew exactly how he felt. Feliciano sighed.

"How do you even meet people, in bars?" he asked suddenly, with a crooked smile.

"Depends on the kind of bar," replied Ludwig, then desperately tried to stifle his embarrassed smirk.

"Herr Beilschmidt! Are you referring to what I believe you are referring to?" He asked, eyes light with humour.

"Of course not." he replied, taking a sip of his coffee. Feliciano looked at him calculatingly, then played with his spoon, a thoughtful smile upon his lips.

"Do you.. have a special someone?" he asked, glancing up at him. Ludwig paused.

"Not really, no." He said. Not a mutual interest anyway, he thought with a tinge of regret.

"You know, it's not entirely true, what they say about you."

"Oh? And what do they say?"

"That you're... unsociable?"

"Well, I suppose I might be. I have nothing in common with those people." he smiled slightly, but failed to mask the note of bitterness that crept into his words.

"I like you, Ludwig." He said it calmly, and Ludwig had to employ the full extent of his concentration as to not choke on his coffee. Feliciano, ever tactful, pretended not to notice. He picked up Ludwig's spoon and licked it clean, a seemingly innocent gesture at first, until he looked straight at him as he put the head of the spoon into his mouth, licking it like one would a lollipop. Ludwig knew then, that he was rapidly loosing control of the situation.

"I caught you looking at me, remember?" He did. He hadn't been careful enough.

"If my eyes didn't deceive me, you blushed."Ludwig scrambled for something to say, but his inner encyclopedia on polite conversation came up with nothing. Feliciano continued.

"So I thought that you might... feel the same," his expression was serious. Ludwig quickly glanced behind him to see if anyone were listening, but nobody seemed to be paying attention to them at all.

Feeling at first as if his limbs would not obey him if he attempted to move, he tentatively reached across the table and grabbed Feliciano's hand. It was quite real, soft and cool as its fingers curled around his own. He opened his mouth slightly to speak, but his pounding heart seemed to be only functioning part of him. He knew not what to say. The gesture itself was encouraging enough, apparently, for Feliciano's lips curled into a smile.

"Could we... meet somewhere more private?" he asked.

"Of course." Ludwig let go of his hand, but Feli didn't pull it back.

"Your expression is telling me you have a place in mind," he said."Really it's, not ideal, it's not even that private-"

It was good enough for Feliciano, apparently.

It was still raining when they left the warm café and headed into the wet streets, and yet the air seemed refreshing, prickling against Ludwig's face. They paused at the corner that meant their parting of ways, both willing to drag the time. Ludwig took a moment to appreciate the pink flush of Feli's skin were the cold had nipped at it, and could hardly believe what had, and was just jumped internally when Feli grabbed his hand and stepped closer, so that he could almost feel his warm breath against his skin. He whispered something in Italian, close to his ear, words that fell naturally from his lips, softly spoken and yet possessing a strange power. He couldn't guess the meaning, but the tone of voice sent warm shivers down his back. He couldn't help but how Feliciano's pale neck was close enough to kiss, but quickly dismissed the thought. Instead he let his thumb run over the back of his hand. He thought by now that surely, this was a dream. He would wake up and live through this day once again, only it would play out almost exactly like the day before it and the day before stole a glance at Feliciano, who looked away, his face red, and let go of his hand.

"Ciao," said Ludwig, and watched as Feli's face visibly lit up.

"Ciao!" he replied, with the most beautiful smile. He waved as he turned the corner and Ludwig waved back.

He felt like singing, and received a glance from a passerby when he stifled a laugh. He was in deep now. At home he found himself unable to properly concentrate on anything, constantly Feli's name danced through his mind. He replayed their conversation over and over, until only the image of Feliciano smiling, laughing and listening with his head tipped slightly to the side remained. The way his eyes would glint when he smiled, the way his shirt clung to his slim frame. He imagined it with two buttons undone, then three, how it would be to run his fingertips over the exposed skin.


End file.
